Calabria

“Even a god, who lives forever, coming there, would be amazed to see it, and his heart would fill with pleasure”.
This wrote Homer about Calabria in the fifth book of the Odyssey.
Cradle of the Greek civilization in Italy and land of ancient settlements, to this day the region charms with its genuine beauty. It features a wide selection, among not only churches and monasteries, castles and palaces, hamlets and locations where centuries-old customs and traditions are still honoured, but it offers also a varied cuisine: so many flavours, strong and unmistakeable, from the sea and the mountains.

Land
Calabria was at its greatest glory during the time of the Magna Graecia, when many cities were founded along the more than seven hundred kilometres of coastline, such as Reggio, Locri, Crotone and Sibari.
It became a province of the Roman Empire, it later fell under Byzantine domination, then under the Norman-Swabia and finally it became part of the Kingdom of Naples. In the fifteenth century, it offered refuge to the Albanian populations fleeing from the Turkish invasions and still now some hamlets in the Cosentino region hold on to the customs and language of their country of origin.
The land is mostly mountainous and it is separated by Basilicata by the spectacular Pollino massif. However, the mountains don’t end there: they continue eastward to the Sila, covered by the forests after which it is named (silva, in Latin means “forest”), then they descend towards the Aspromonte, where citrus fruits and olives are cultivated on terraces.
The plains are few and all near the sea: the plain of Sibari on the Ionian coast, the plain of Sant’Eufemia and Gioia on the Tyrrhenian coast. Vestiges of the ancient glory of the Greeks and Romans are everywhere, but there are also monuments of Byzantine and medieval eras, especially in Catanzaro and Crotone.
The region’s characteristic shape, squeezed between two seas and with harsh massifs, forged the character of the inhabitants, historically not much inclined to life on the coast and accustomed to preserve their traditions at high ground, even the gastronomic ones.

Gastronomic Tradition
The gastronomic culture of Calabria has been consistent through time. It is sober and strong, especially tied to cheeses and deli meats and often strengthened by pepper and chili (locally produced).
As it is typical of a pastoral culture, bread is made to last, so it is in large sizes. There are also different kinds of bread called Pitte, i.e. stuffed focaccias and flavoured with the omnipresent chili, tomato, bell pepper, aromatic herbs or fish.
Typical starters are vegetable or fish based dishes, like the Melanzane a scapece, where the eggplant, Calabrian cuisine’s favourite vegetable, is preserved in brine with other vegetables and aromatic herbs, and the Mùstica, small oily fish dried with chili and preserved in oil.
The first courses are robust. The most famous ones are the Maccaruni, pasta dressed with meat sauce and tomato, or alla pastora, with clarified pork fat and ricotta cheese, or pork meat sauce and smoked ricotta cheese.
Among the main courses, the Stuffed kid goat and the Morseddhu, a tripe stew with sheep entrails usually served with the Pitta stand out. And there are many fish recipes. Swordfish fishing is widely spread, as it is tuna, though to a lesser extent: both give raise to the great classics of the Calabrian cuisine, like Swordfish a ghiotta, a involtino, alla bagnarese or with salmoriglio, and Tuna fish balls, either boiled or fried.
As for pastry, like in the neighbouring regions there are Mostaccioli, sweets of Arab origin based on honey and sweet wine, and Bocconotti, small short-pastry sweets filled with jam or pastry cream. The Torrone di Bagnara is renowned.

Products
Deli meats are among the forte of typical Calabrian cuisine: Pancetta, Sausage, Soppressata, Calabrian Capocollo and ‘Nduja, a sausage flavoured with sweet and hot chili. Very likely, the name of this product comes from the French word andouille that refers to a sausage made with entrails, tripe, lungs and liver boiled with aromatic herbs and vegetables: it is then tightly cased and should be consumed within a short time.
Other giants among the regional dairy products are: Abbespata, a smoked ricotta; Giuncata, a soft cheese made with sheep’s milk; Caciocavallo Silano of various maturations.
The traditional liquorice, known since 1700 for its digestive properties, comes from Rossano Calabro, a town of Byzantine origin rich in monuments and splendid basilicas.
The citruses too are exceptional. Particularly, the Clementina di Calabria PGI, the bergamot, cultivated in the region since 1750, the citron and the Zibibbo wine from Pizzo Calabro.
And among the vegetables, let’s not forget the sweet Tropea onion, imported by the Phoenicians over two thousands year ago.
Calabria was called Enotria by the Greeks, which means “land of vineyards”. Not by chance. The hearty regional cuisine boasts robust and intense wines, like Cirò, Greco, Nicastro, Squillace and Montonico.

Historical curiosities
Milo of Croton was among the most illustrious figures of the Magna Graecia and the strongest athlete of all times: he was a pugilist and a wrestler unbeaten for more than twenty years. According to late-Hellenistic authors, after his victory in Olympia, Milo carried a four-year-old bull on his shoulders, and completed a full circle around the stadium before devouring it to the last bite. In ancient Greece, a great appetite was synonym of superhuman strength, and Milo must have had a lot of it, won’t you agree?

Some typical recipes
If you are curious about Calabrian cuisine, here are some dishes you can prepare.

Polpette di melanzane
This version of the traditional meatballs or tuna fish balls is eggplant-based and it is a classic starter, full of flavour and easy to prepare.

Lasagne e ceci
This Calabrian first course is also popular in Basilicata and Campania. It features the lagane, wide pasta strips of ancient tradition that resemble broad tagliatelle.

Pesce spada con capperi e limone
An easy and quick recipe that will let you discover the versatility of swordfish.

Fichi al cioccolato
A typical Calabrian dessert for true gluttons.